Watching a selectmen meeting of November 28, 2016, yes, 2016, in which then chaiman of the Board, John Caplis stated the advisory committee put out some inaccurate and unauthorized information to town meeting (special Town Meeting of October 20, 2016). John Caplis further stated that all information for Town Meeting has to be approved by Town Moderator per Town by-laws. So I went and checked; no surprise, no such by-law nor section of any town by-law states that.

Article II - Town Meeting of Templeton by-laws states:
Section 17. The most current issue of TOWN MEETING TIME is to be considered the general guideline for all procedures of town meetings, except those procedures already provided for by the by-laws. Amended 10-15-82

No where in Town Meeting times could I find any such wording that gives Town Moderator control over what materials people may bring into town meeting, other than tobacco and concealed alcohol.

At a selectmen workshop, former BOS member John Columbus made a similar statement concerning Advisory Committee putting out unauthorized information. John Columbus should have woke up enough to read town by-laws and state law: Advisory Committee is directed to give a report to Town Meeting regarding any recommendations they may have on articles of the warrant for town meeting.

This means rather than putting out unauthorized information or not getting permission, the Advisory Committee was actually doing it's job, per state law and Town by-laws, which come from a vote of Town Meeting. Advisory Committee did what is was directed to do!

This was the beginning of the "assault" on the Advisory Committee by the Board of Selectmen, in my opinion. That assault has not ended yet, again, in my opinion. But you can watch the movie and decide.

District: Narragansett Regional School District School
Names: Narragansett Middle School
Phillipston Memorial School

Recommended Category: Project Funding Agreement Green Repair Program
Date: March 30, 2011
Recommendation That the Executive Director be authorized to enter into a Project Funding Agreement with the Narragansett Regional School District to replace the boilers at the Phillipston Memorial School and to replace the roof at Narragansett Middle School.

Discussion The OPM and Designer conducted a feasibility analysis and schematic design of the facility and developed a proposed scope of work, schedule and estimated budget. The District’s Designer, DiMarinisi & Wolfe Architects, recommends removing the existing roof at the Narragansett Middle School and replacing it with an EPDM roof system and replacing the boiler at the Phillipston Memorial School. The District has confirmed that the roof and boilers will be in compliance with the Green Repair Program sustainability requirements. MSBA staff have reviewed the schematic drawings and specifications provided by the District and have discussed scope and budget with the District and its consultants. The District has provided a total project budget of $1,294,266 with a total construction cost of $1,087,451. Construction costs include a construction cost of $1,006,020 for the Narragansett Middle School roof ($14.27/sf) and a construction cost of $81,431 for the Phillipston Memorial School boiler. The basis of the Total Facilities Grant would be $1,294,266.

School Name:                               Phillipston                        Narragansett                         DISTRICT TOTAL

                                                      Memorial School             Middle School Project

Scope:                                           Boiler system repair        Roof replacement

                                                                                                    (70,500 sf)

Total Project Budget:                     $143,235                        $1,151,031                               $1,294,266

Total Construction Budget:            $81,431                          $1,006,020                                $1,087,451

Basis of Total Facilities Grant:       $143,235                         $1,151,031                               $1,294,266

Reimbursement Rate:                    59.84%                              59.84%                                      59.84%

Maximum Total Facilities Grant:    $85,712                            $688,777                                   $774,489

School name	MSBAID	Project Type	Project Phase	Total Project Budget	Reimbursement Rate	Estimated Building Completion Date	MSBA Amt Paid(to Date)	Estimated MSBA Payment Amt Remaining
Narragansett Middle	201107200305G	Green Repair	Final Audit Approved	$1,144,511	59.84 %		$663,544
Phillipston Memorial	201107200003G	Green Repair	Final Audit Approved	$161,232	59.84 %		$78,095
Templeton Center School	200807200020	Core Program	Construction	$45,058,033	63.11 %		$12,051,895	$10,708,884

Templeton residents: Pay attention:

By SARAH ROBERTSON

Staff Writer

PHILLIPSTON — What started as a project to replace the old roof of the Phillipston Memorial Elementary School building turned into a laundry list of necessary upgrades to meet fire safety, handicap accessibility, and other essential building regulations.

Officials from the town and school district discussed renovation plans at a meeting of the Phillipston Memorial Elementary School Building Committee Tuesday night. According to Kevin Flynn, Phillipston Select Board’s chief administrative officer, the cost of the roof replacement triggered other mandatory upgrades to the school building.

“The way the codes are written, if you spend a certain percent of the value of the building you have to address other problems,” Flynn said. “It’s a lot of things here and there that need to be taken care of.”

Upgrades on the horizon include the expansion and reconfiguration of the whole school building, moving the cafeteria and kitchen out of the basement, installing a new pitched roof, and meeting fire safety and handicap accessibility regulations. A new pitched roof will fix persistent leaks, while other upgrades are long overdue as well.

Acting fire chief Donald Smith noted sections of the school building that are not in compliance with current fire safety regulations. He said sprinklers and clearly visible smoke detectors must be installed to bring the school to code. However, because the state School Building Authority will not fund fire suppression upgrades to a wood-framed building, the town will have to finance the upgrades themselves. 

The fact that Phillipston does not have town water complicates the installation of a sprinkler system, Smith said. To build a fire sprinkler system with adequate water pressure, the school would have to install cisterns to hold additional water reserves. 

Replacing Phillipston Memorial Elementary School’s heating system is another challenge that came up for the first time at Tuesday night’s meeting. According to the elementary school’s principal Chante Jillson, keeping the heat on in the school has been a challenge for years and requires frequent maintenance. 

“Every year there is a significant issue with one or two of the units,” Jillson said. 

The school runs seven different heating units on three different kinds of systems: forced hot air, steam and HVAC, each one relic of the year the wing of the school building was built. Most heating units are long overdue for upgrades, Jillson said, and right now, it’s the heat in the gymnasium that isn’t working properly.

Phillipston Memorial Elementary School was built in 1948, with additions added in 1974 and 1996. During the 1996 expansion, the school should have been required to upgrade the school to meet fire and ADA requirements, but for some reason those didn’t happen, Planning Board chair Bernie Malouin said. 

“At that time they probably should have done the sprinklers. Somehow that fell through the cracks,” Malouin said. “Our primary concern as a committee is the safety of the kids in this school.”

The existing handicap elevator, accessible through a classroom on one floor and the cafeteria kitchen in the basement, must open into a common space in order to meet Americans with Disability Act (ADA) requirements. All bathrooms and entrances into the building must be made handicap accessible, too, by installing ramps and widening some doorways. 

At a prior meeting on the school upgrades, an architect estimated the renovations would cost over $500 per square foot. The School Building Committee is considering asking for $2.5 million debt exclusion to cover the costs, according to Finance Committee co-chair Tom Specht, but will first order an engineering study to better assess the costs. The committee may request the money for an engineering study at the spring Town Meeting. 

In June, the Select Board signed the $8,250 contract with Nault Architect to conduct the feasibility study for elementary school. It was noted that four firms were interviewed, and Nault was recommended by the Renovation Committee.

According to Jillson, after moving the cafeteria and kitchen upstairs, the basement would ideally be used for storage only. One potential solution discussed involves building a kitchen off the gymnasium and use the gym for both lunches and athletics. However, this creates scheduling conflicts for educators who need to teach and serve lunch to different student groups simultaneously. 

According to Specht, money for the upgrades can come from either the school’s finances or the town’s building replacement fund. He said that fixing the school’s heating system was a top priority and could potentially come from emergency reserve funds. 

Recently, the town also bought a new generator for the school building for about $53,000, according to Flynn, which will allow Phillipston Memorial Elementary School to serve as an emergency shelter during a winter power outage. 

No one from the town has yet discussed the prospects of building a new school in Phillipston, Flynn said. Last year, a deal that would have sent Phillipston elementary school students to Templeton Center Elementary School while using the Phillipston building for a regional preschool and kindergarten a fell flat following public pushback.

School funding; Narragansett is a work in progress:

Early numbers for FY 2020 show 4 scenarios:

One with a 16.75% increase equal to      $2,408,785.00

One with a 10.16% increase equal to      $1,177,782.00

One with a 9.92% increase equal to        $1,133,312.00

One with a 8.26% increase equal to        $822,566.00

There is a meeting on February 11, 2019 to talk about things like this. There is scheduled to be members of Templeton board of selectmen, Advisory Committee, Phillipston selectmen and finance committee and maybe two town administrators. It will be interesting.

Below is a link to an item that should be of interest to all Templeton taxpayers.


https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A//www.mytowngovernment.org/download%3Fdocument%3DahNzfnRvd25nb3Zlcm5tZW50LWhychoLEg1Eb2N1bWVudE1vZGVsGICAgPabjoAKDA%26view%3DTrue%26.pdf

TO: Board of Selectmen
 FROM: Carter Terenzini, Town Administrator
RE: Administrator’s Weekly Report
DATE: January 17, 2019
CC: All Departments



5. e. As laid out in the attached memo from Adam, and after discussions with the TA in Phillipston, he and I would like to propose an application to the Community Compact Program to explore what elements of the Fire/EMS service -if any - might be shared between us. By viewing the service area as a larger entity, we may be able to provide a more robust and costefficient service to both communities. In addition, this study would look at the current practices of our two departments to identify opportunity for improvements and best practices we should adopt. We anticipate the grant request to be $27,500+/- with a consultant to be chosen jointly between the two towns. If you approve this application, we will forward your approval to the Phillipston BoS for their formal approval.

from a report by Fox 25 News

In the small Worcester County town of Phillipston, tensions between the town and the fire department have simmered below the surface for years.

But, a recent claim of sexual harassment against the captain ignited old animosities and factions and led nearly a third of the department’s force to resign in a matter of weeks. 

Since early December seven of the town’s fire department personnel, including six firefighters and EMTs, turned in resignation letters, citing concerns that range from lack of leadership to fearing for their safety.

A review of those letters reveals a work environment that some characterized as “unprofessional” and “hostile,” particularly toward the female members of the department. 

25 Investigates sat down for on-camera interviews with five of the individuals who resigned. A woman who asked not to be identified spoke to us by phone. All described a toxic situation inside the department and they point the finger at captain John Seamon Jr.,

Perhaps rather than looking to Phillipston, Templeton Selectmen should be looking within and consider if this could happen in Templeton; who and how would they handle it?